RW Challenger of the Week: Mike Post

Friday, June 10, 2011, 12:00 am

[3]Mike Post started training for a marathon to get in shape, and to check running 26.2 miles off his bucket list, figuring it was a once and done sort of thing. He expected blisters, and struggles, and really long runs, but what he didn't expect was to fall in love with long distances on the way to the starting line. He loved getting lost in the sound of his footsteps, or his conversations with other runners, and he loved the way the pounds melted off no matter what he ate. In fact, he dropped 20 pounds in the process of preparing for the 2010 Wineglass Marathon.“Training for a marathon started out as a life-list thing,” says Post, a father of two who lives in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, “and it turned into a lifestyle.”But a month before this year’s Lehigh Valley Half-Marathon[4], Post wasn’t feeling good. He was easily short of breath, fatiguing early, and was never fully recovering from his runs. It turns out he had atrial fibrillation and bradycardia, two different heart conditions that cause his heart to beat irregularly. Post had a pacemaker implanted into his shoulder, got on a regimen of medications, and within a few days of surgery, he was running again. And because of the rigorous cardiovascular testing he had to go through, he felt much more confident about his health and his running while he was on the road.“I am healthier, faster and have more endurance than before,” he says. “Losing the weight and improving my diet helped decrease my blood pressure and normalize my blood-sugar levels. The doctors didn’t blink an eye when I told them I wanted to run a marathon. There are no restrictions on my running, only upsides.”Now, Post is training for the 2011 Wineglass Marathon[5] on October 2 with the Runner's World Challenge[6]. This time, he’s planning to eat right, train better, and break five hours.Occupation: Director, eastern region sales Hometown: Quakertown, Pennsylvania Family: Married for 25 years; two daughters, ages 16 and 14 Experience: I ran the 2010 Wineglass Marathon in just over 5:40. I ran the May 2011 Lehigh Valley Half-Marathon in 2:32 after having a pacemaker installed in March. I also ran a 10-K of 44:42 back in college, and a few 5-Ks for fun and charity over the years. RW Challenge goal: Beat 5:00 for the 2011 Wineglass Marathon.How did you start running? I started running cross-country in high school when I didn’t make the football team. My coach was an ultrarunner, and I discovered that I liked to run but was never very fast. I have run a little bit all my life, mostly one and two miles for the last 30 years on and off.Tell us about your weight-loss success. I loved training for a marathon because I ate like a horse and lost 17 pounds from an all-time high of 227; I am 5 feet, 10 inches tall. My doctor insisted that I start a low-carb eating plan, and I am now down to 201 with a goal of 185-190 for my marathon. I am still working out how to balance the low-carb eating with long runs, but so far it has worked out fine.What is the most challenging part of training, and how do you get over it? The middle of the run has always been the hardest for me. At some point I can’t get lost in the run and start to focus on how much longer or how much something is bothering me or wonder whether I have gone totally insane. I plan and practice many techniques to mentally overcome the difficult times but often become overwhelmed and literally forget everything. I am still working on this part of medium and long runs.What is your favorite form of fuel? Mandarin orange-flavored GU energy gels.If you could go for a run with someone—living or dead—who would it be? I would have to say Bart Yasso[7] because he runs on guts and hard work and still has won a marathon.What advice would you give a beginner? Start and progress gradually; get plenty of base miles in. During my marathon training, I had plantar fasciitis and runner’s knee, both caused by poor form and overtraining. I am so much faster and healthier now that I have a great base of miles to build on. I was able to come back from surgery and run a half-marathon in less than two months because I was cautious about my training.Any favorite running books? Jim Fixx’s Complete Book of Running. It was published about the time I got serious about running in high school, so it had a strong impact on me. There weren’t many other resources in 1977.